Show case for entomological and other



N M d 1. 8 0. 1?.M0GLASHAN.

SHOW CASE FOR ENTOMOLOGIOAL AND OTHER SPEGIMENS.

No. 380,762. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

N FEYERS. PhalmLnho is to say, its top is one piece of glass, its botally stated to be to provide for the most perihn'rnn STATES PATENT FFi CEo CHARLES F. ,MCGLASHAN, OF TRUOKEE, CALIFORNIA.

SHOW-=CASE FOR ENTOMOLOGICAL AND OTHER SPECIMENS.

SPECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,762, dated April 10, 1888.

Application filed December 19, 1887. Serial No. 258,407. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. MoGLAsH- AN, of Truckee, in the county of Nevada and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Show-Cases for Entomological and other Specimens; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the art of preserving and exhibiting entomological and other specimens and to the class of cases for containing them.

Myinvention consists in the novel construction of the allglass cases and in the novel means of mounting the specimens therein, all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The objects of my invention may be generfect exhibition of the specimens, giving an opportunity to observe the lower as well as the upper side; to perfectly and permanently pre serve the specimen by confining it within a hermetically-sealed all-glass case; to so mount and arrange the specimen within its case as to prevent the attack of and exterminate any parasitical insects which may be on it or which may accompany it at the time it is placed in position; and to provide a neat and attractive entomological show-case which may become popular, and thus serve to instruct beginners and cultivate a taste for investigation in this sclence.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my show-case. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same.

The case A is made wholly,,of glass, and may be cylindrical or polyhedrous in shape, though I prefer to have it in the form of an ordinary six-sided box. In any case I make it in sections, each side being a separate piece-that tom another piece of glass, and each of its sides one piece of glass. In the shape shown it would be composed of six pieces of glass. The meeting edges of each piece of glass are chamfered or beveled to an angle to suit the particular case, in a right-angled box to a miter, as shown at a, and these joints are all thoroughly ce mented together, so that the sections of the case become practically a single piece, forming a hollow shell or casing, which is permanently and hermetically sealed.

Before finally sealing all the sections of the case I place the specimen B in position in the following manner: To the bottom section of 5 the case,on its inner surface, is firmly cemented a small piece or standard, (3, of material such as soft wood, or preferably cork, and upon top of this I place a small sheet, D, of absorbent material, such as unsized or blotting paper. I then pass the impaling-pin E through the body of the specimen and through the blotting paper, inserting its point into the standard of cork, so thatthe. specimen is thus supported in approximately the horizontal central plane of 6 the case, and may be observed from :all sides.

I am aware that a piece of cork as a standard or base for the impaling-pin of the specimen is not a new thing of itself, and I do not,

therefore, so claim it; but my novelty in this connection rests in the fact that before placing the cork in position I treat it with a suitable insecticide or preservative-such as creosote,

carbolic acid, cyanide of potassium, chloroform, &c.-and I also treat the piece, D, of absorbenhpaper in the same manner.

The piece of paper, D, in addition to its object of giving forth a vapor destructive to parasites upon the specimen, serves also to steady the impaling-pin in the cork standard, and, further, the medicated cork and piece of paper will prevent the injurious attacks of those parasites which may drop from the specimen upon the bottom of the case.

The main feature of my invention is the mode 8 or method of preserving the specimens, which consists in mounting them within an all-glass case permanently and hermetically sealed.

I am aware that specimens in museums are kept in show-cases of various kinds, which said -cases are made more or less of glass, and I also know that specimen-cases have beeh known made wholly of glass, the joints of the case being covered with paper to hold the sections together; but in none of these instances is the case hermetically and permanently sealed, as it must be in order to carry out my idea, which is to have the specimens scaled up and ex cluded from the air for good, and in an all-glass case, so that no harm can come to them, as 1 would be the case if doors are provided to afford access, as in the ordinary showcase, or when thejoints are made simply with paper pasted over them, for in both instances the air,

dust, and dampness find ready access to the interiorand soon spoil the specimens. By mounting them in an all-glass case such as I have described one is enabled to inspect the specimen from all sides, and particularly to observe the under side, which in many instances is as interesting and beautiful as the upper side.

The construction of the case is of the simplest character, requiring no ledges, dovetails, grooves, or clamps to hold the sections together, but simply requiring the edges to be mitered or beveled to other suitable angle and all held together as one piece by means of a proper cement.

Hermetically sealing the case prevents destroying-insects from getting in.

The label or description of the specimen, its history, and any matter of interest connected therewith may be firmly cemented to the inner surface of the glass.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with ahermetically-sealed all-glass case for confining and preserving entomological and other specimens, the standard fixed within the case for receiving the impaling-pin of the specimen, said standard being treated with a suitable insecticide or preservative, substantially as described.

2. In combination with ahermetically-sealed all-glass case for confining and preserving entoniological and other specimens, the standard cemented in the bottom of the case to its inner surface and receiving the impaling-pin in its top, and a piece of absorbent material-such as blotting-paper-treated with an insecticide or preservative and located on top of the stand ard, substantially as described.

3. A hermetically-sealed all-glass case, in combination with the medicated standard secured inside of it, the medicated piece of paper secured on top of the standard, and an impaling-pin for the specimen passing through the paper and into the standard, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES F. MOGLASHAN. \Vitnesses:

S. H. Norman,

J. H. BLooD. 

